Western Pa. Writer Blames Giants Fan in Coma

We’ve seen this kind of thing happen in our hometown before. David Sale, a 28-year old Phillies fan, was beaten to death in a parking lot outside of Citizens Bank Park in July 2009. It wasn’t a Phillies-fans-against-others type thing, Sale was a Phils fan and accidentally spilled beer on another group of fans inside McFaddens. He was then pummeled to his grave out in the parking lot. So much for rooting for the same side.

Philly is used to hearing and feeling the backlash caused by a small number of jackasses. Now, Los Angeles is dealing with it. And soon, hopefully, a small town newspaper in Western PA feels it.

Bryan Stow, a 42-year old Giants fan wearing his Giants gear, was severely beaten March 31 at Dodger stadium by two men wearing Dodgers clothes. He remains in a coma. No arrest has been made in connection with the attack.

Stow was simply out rooting for his team at another stadium and that was just too much for two Dodgers fans to handle.

Maybe someone can ask Snow, if he ever comes out of his coma, why he thought it was a good idea to wear Giants’ gear to a Dodgers’ home opener when there was a history of out-of-control drunkenness and arrests at that event going back several years.

Remember when it was the kids who were wearing the team jerseys to games? It was a common sight to see an adult male coming through the turnstile dressed as a regular human being with a kid dressed in a “real” jersey holding his hand.

Cute.

Are the 42-year-olds who find it necessary to wear their replica jerseys to a road game, those kids who are now fathers who haven’t grown up?

Are there really 40-something men who think that wearing the jersey makes them part of the team? It was cute when a 10-year-old kid got that feeling by showing up at Three Rivers Stadium in a Pirates jersey, but when did little boys stop growing out of that?

Here’s tip for you if you actually think that wearing your team’s jersey makes you a part of the team:

It doesn’t.

We hope and pray that Bryan Stow recovers from this savage beating, no matter what jersey he wears. We also hope that Steigerwald has thought long and hard about the words he has printed for all to see forever and ever. They come off as irrational and ridiculously insensitive.

As a gentle reminder to Phillies fans, who, at times, take things a little too seriously at the ballpark, check your tough guy act at the door. Give the other fans a good ribbing (especially Mets fans of course) but leave the fighting to those on the field. Because no one deserves to lose their life over a jersey.

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13 Comments

Truly appalling. And this guy is a regular columnist? This idiot who can’t even spell the victim’s name right, or get the victim’s hometown right? Truly, this is the reason why journalism is a dying profession.

why don’t they put those emergency call boxes out in close proximities all over the parking lot areas at these large venues??? they should also have “teams” ready for call in emergencies like this unfortunate attack

Quick, change the heading to “Pittsburgh” writer. People are going to read the story and assume a Philadelphia writer is the one blaming the victim. Congratulations, John Steigerwald… your asinine article has earned you 16,000+ hits and your 15 minutes of fame. Hopefully it earns you a place in the unemployment line too.

What a turd, this Steigerwald guy! I think it’s beyond insensitive… it’s insulting and disrespectful. He says “Maybe someone can ask Snow, if he ever comes out of his coma, …” –I find that part particularly disgusting.

Great to be back on Phillies Nation. I had a great six month vacation in New Zealand and Australia. Great to be back watching the Phils. It was a damn shame that Dodger fans acted so brutally. That behavior is expected from Mets fans and Yankee fans…..but Dodger fans !!!
GO PHILS. Shart is back

This writer is a moron, This is AMERICA you can go to another teams stadium wearing your team’s jersey without being beaten to death or almost death. This man is going to be forever harmed for this senseless act by two cowards. IT’S a FREAKIN GAME for crying out loud.
I hope they catch these guys who did it and they are sent away fro a long time.
How can you EVER blame the guy who wore the jersey, why do you have to wear regular clothes to a sporting event.

I pray for Bryan Stow and his family. This so called “columnist” is an idiot and heartless. He couldn’t even spell Bryan Stow’s last name right so, you know he doesn’t have any brains. I wear my Phillies gear because I’m proud of it to every game I go to regardless if the Phillies are playing or not. There are scumbags out there that all they want to do is start trouble and seek attention no matter what team are playing. God Bless my fellow Phillies fans and the Stow’s family.

What scares me is the fact that there are some Phillies (and Eagles) fans who let their frustration with what happens on the field turn into stupid behavior off it. And we know that those types hate to be outdone in the idiot department. Those two assclowns (I won’t elevate their status to fans) at Dodger Stadium have set the bar pretty high with beating a guy nearly to death and getting away with it, but you know some chucklehead from the Delaware Valley will certainly feel the need to outdo them at CBP or LFF. I just hope that the authorities are doing everything they can to avoid that sort of thing. I’m going to Washington D.C. next month in full Phillies regalia (I’m 54 and I refuse to grow up completely!), wish me luck!